Question

After all the time, effort and care you put into your work search, it can be tempting to leap at the first job you’re offered without negotiating salary, benefits and other terms of employment.

With the exception of some entry-level positions and jobs where you’re automatically placed on a grid determined by education and experience, many employers expect you to make a counter- offer and negotiate terms. To effectively negotiate a job offer, you need to understand and evaluate the offer and make a counter-offer.

write a 1-page summary of the key points in handling and negotiating a job offer with one paragraph on each of the following topics

understand the offer.

evaluate the offer.

make a counter-offer / negotiate.

accept the offer/sign the contract.

reflection: write a short paragraph describing what parts of handling a job offer will be easier for you, and any areas where you would like to practice or learn more

Answer 1

Solution:

Negotiation of a job offer may be an uncomfortable discussion, but it allows the candidate to earn a better compensation package and working conditions. Following are some recommendations in terms of how a candidate should handle and negotiate a job offer:

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Understand the offer:

The candidate needs to wait until the prospective employer issues a written offer letter. Once the offer letter is in hand, the candidate can review it carefully to understand the entire list of benefits. Beside Salary, there could be several other benefits such as:

• Annual bonus
• Car mileage
• Job title
• Paid leave
• Joining bonus
• Relocation package
• Flex hours
• Medical Insurance

Candidate should review the offer letter to understand what is on offer.

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Evaluate the offer:

Once the candidate reviews the proposal and benefits, the candidate should undertake some research to estimate the fair compensation for the position and relevant experience. The estimation can be done based on information available on websites such as GD and PS. The candidate can also discuss with past/current employees of the prospective employer, if possible. The candidate should also make a fair assessment of the total value of the benefits on offer under each head.

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Make a counter-offer / negotiate:

Counter-offer and negotiation are not limited to Salary. Sometimes, a company may not be in a position to accommodate a higher salary. Hence, the candidate needs to be open and flexible in terms of what is acceptable. It is also essential to keep a range of negotiation in mind so that the candidate does not come across as adamant.

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Accept the offer/sign the contract:

Once the candidate is satisfied with the final offer, the candidate should seek sometime from the prospective employer to review the agreement. During this window, the candidate should go over the terms and conditions in the employment contract. In case of any gaps, the candidate should talk to the hiring manager of the prospective employer for necessary clarity and get it preferably in writing. The candidate should send the required acceptance in required format within the deadline.

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Reflection:

The aspects such as understanding the offer and evaluating the proposal are reasonably straight forward and easy to understand. However, the actual negotiation discussion is tricky due to the several permutations and combinations that exist. That requires deft handling and some experience.